Kukla's Korner Hockey

Ken Ward, the father of 22-year-old rookie Cam Ward, who will be the youngest goaltender to start a Stanley Cup final game since Montreal's 20-year-old Patrick Roy in the 1986 series, has an interesting take on it.
"If you could combine the atmosphere from inside the rink in Edmonton and outside the rink here, you'd have the most amazing atmosphere in sports,'' he says.
While they had a top team all season, there were plenty of good seats to be had until the playoffs came around.
"Hockey is not a real religion,'' explains News & Observer sports columnist Ned Barnett. "Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State college basketball - that's the real religion. When March Madness is over, it's like the fans here look to the Canes and say 'How are they doing?' ''
"They don't follow the league. They don't follow the teams. They don't know if somebody is having a real good season in Toronto,'' said columnist Barnett. "There are still questions how viable it is.''